Josephine Taylor: A Running List of Detroit Restaurants and Bars Partially Reopening for Dine-In Service

A green sign on the open door to El Nacimiento in Detroit.

Restaurants that choose to reopen for dine-in service at 50 percent capacity are adopting stingent protocols to keep employees and customers safe during the pandemic. | Christian Gerard

Under the new rules, restaurants can open at 50 percent seating capacity

As of Monday, June 8, restaurants and bars across the state legally started welcoming customers back inside dining rooms for a sit-down meal or a drink. It’s the first time that dine-in service has been permitted in the metro Detroit area since the partial shutdown went into place on March 16 due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

In order to resume regular service, establishments serving food and beverages are limited to 50 percent of their former seating capacity and must spread out tables and groups of chairs to ensure six feet of social distance between groups. Employees are required to wear face masks and undergo health screenings in addition to other safety trainings and protocols required by the state. Customers must also wear a mask over their nose and mouth when entering restaurants or when they leave the table to help prevent the spread of the virus.

As many restaurant owners can attest, reopening after three months of modified service or complete closure isn’t like flipping a switch. A majority of restaurants have to rehire and retrain staff as well as reconfigure dining rooms, all while acquiring the proper personal protective equipment and sanitizing supplies. Issues with the food supply chain resulting from novel coronavirus have also created extra barriers for restaurants trying to resume a something resembling normal service with the menu items customers expect.

At the same time, some restaurants are taking a wait and see approach to reopening dining rooms for the safety of staff and customers or delaying regular service for a month. The list below contains restaurants that have resumed some form of dine-in service. It’s best to call ahead for more info, since hours, official reopening dates, and services change often right now.

If you choose to go, remember to tip well and follow the rules set out by restaurants. No one should have to tell you to wear a mask. And please, for the safety of yourself and others, stay home when you’re sick, wash your hands, and cover coughs with your elbow. For folks who would prefer to stick to carryout at this time, there check out Eater’s guides.

Eater will add new names periodically; email detroit@eater.com if you see any missing from the list or that have changed services.